My Life, My Words, My reality!

January 24, 2012June 6, 2012

Are You Thankful?

I seriously have to ask this question because sometimes I feel that we take everything we have or don’t have for granted.

I was just reading this article from Huffington Post about a young lady named Ariane Noelle Patterson who lost her life after she tweeted, “Thank You God for Another Year of Life”. How was she to know that shortly after, she would lose her life from a heart attack!?

She just turned 21

Stacey English, a 36 year old woman from Atlanta and alumni from my alma mater disappeared Christmas day.

A day spent with family and friends have turned into pure agony for this family. Breaking news surfaced that a body has been discovered a month after her disappearance. No word yet if it is her but from what is being reported, sadly, it may be the case.

We are only one month into 2012 and tragedy has hit many families.

Are we really thankful? As individuals….as a society?

We wake up and complain how we dread heading to work, school, or whatever else we may go but do we even think that some people went to sleep last night and didn’t even wake up. Some woke up yesterday, went about their business and never made it home.

As I crawl in my bed night after night and shed a tear or two for one of my favorite shows, Criminal Minds, I can’t help but to think that I am not that lucky. Yes, I have not been abducted, raped, molested, tortured, or worse killed; but because it hasn’t happened to me doesn’t mean that others are not faced with this.

If I haven’t been that thankful, I am now.

I am thankful that I can wake up and function…that I woke up in my right mind and have no disabilities nor ailments that make my day a bit longer, a bit more stressful. I am thankful that I am protected going in and out everyday. I am thankful that I have a family and friends who I care for, who I can call and talk too and know that they are OK. I am thankful for my health, finances, food and most importantly shelter. I am thankful for the gift of LIFE.

Yes, it is a GIFT.

I know that the daily stress and struggles can cause one to forget to be grateful for the little things, but if all you can be thankful for is life…than my friend, that is the biggest blessing there is!